October Huddle Followup: Engage, Encourage, Inspire

Last week many of you came out to join us for our fall leadership huddle. We discussed various ways of creating environments for meaningful conversations, member transparency and encouraging a closer walk with Christ. 

A special thanks to Jesse and Kara O'Hara who shared how moving to the ten-week weekly meeting schedule has transformed their group. 

Here are some of the notes we took at the meeting

1. What comes to mind when you think of a healthy Community Group?

  • Consistent attendance

  • Open communication

  • Safe and supportive of member needs

  • Accountable to one another

  • Listening members

  • Friendly & Inviting

  • Authentic and transparent

  • Members who participate

  • Makes prayer & spiritual health a priority

  • Confidentiality and trust

  • Finding ways to serve others

2. What contributes to shallow conversations or hinders your members from diving deeper?

  • Distractions

  • Too much social talk

  • Unwillingness to participate

  • Lack of prayer

  • Poor communication

  • Intimidation or lack of confidence

  • Lack of commitment

  • Varying life stages

  • Lack of transparency

  • Not meeting consistently  

Strategies to combat various issues:

Lack of Prayer

  • Pray more

  • Encourage a 2 - 3 sentence prayer max so it’s non intimidating

  • Say the Lord’s prayer together

  • Meditation practices: Lectio Divina, prayer of examining, centering down

  • Start your meeting with prayer time

  • Separating men & women for prayer time

  • Try Echo Prayer by Echo Prayer (app)

  • Incorporate a worship song prior to prayer time

Unwillingness to communicate or be authentic

  • Ask those that are quieter simpler questions that are not intimidating

  • Use icebreakers to warm people up

  • Encourage answering around the circle

  • When leaders model authenticity, members will follow

  • Invite members to participate by asking good questions

Not meeting regularly

  • just do it, even if there are only two couples or individuals there. Set the expectation that you WILL be meeting no matter what

  • Strongly consider meeting weekly

Different personality styles

  • Embrace different styles; allow the outspoken ones to lead occasionally and shy ones to take prayer requests or research service projects

  • Be patient with people who don’t share immediately

  • Keep the study topic in focus, redirecting bunny trails or the comedian of the group.

  • Change up the way you do your study occasionally so all personality types can benefit. (Ex: video series, research-driven, book series)

Distractions

  • Minimizing (dog / kids)

  • Redirect social talk during the study. Delegate time for that at beginning/end

  • start with an opening prayer/ or ice breaker

Life stages

  • extending grace to people who are in a new life stage who may need to take time away from the group. Keep praying for them and reaching out

Tips and hints

  • Meet one on one with group members to get to know them

  • Encourage one on one meetings in your group

  • Share responsibilities and ownership of your group

  • Invite members of your group to take turns leading the conversation

  • Schedule your service project and meetings and understand that not all people can make it.

Patrick KirkhamComment